Anthrax and Paycheck

I ended up watching Paycheck (Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman) at around 1 o’clock this morning.There’s a reason why I didn’t see it in theaters last year.I like the idea of it (Total Recall meets Memento meets the Firm), but it was pretty weak.The cheeseball ending alone pretty much killed the movie for me. I’ve been doing Netflix for all my movie rentals for just over a month. There’s something immensely satisfying and liberating about having movies in my mailbox, and not having to comb the racks at the local video store.

Went to Anthrax last week at Oasis 160. It’s inexplicable that they didn’t become a more formidable mainstream presence over the past 10 years or so. They still kill on stage.I completely geeked out at the show to the fact that Alex Ross was there.Who? He’s the guy who painted the covers to the last two Anthrax albums (including the Live in Chicago CD/DVD).Ross is, without question, the most important comic book artist of the past ten years.He may arguably be the most important comic artist in the near-70 year history of the medium.Like Kevin Smith, Ross is a total rock star in that universe. He is to comics what Tom Cruise is to movies. I’ve met tons of rock stars.Hundreds. I manage to pull off a clinical detachment when I talk to/meet/interview them. This situation was different. I very lamely transformed into a 13-year old acned boy when I talked to Alex Ross that night. I’m glad I went out to the show solo. I would’ve embarrassed whomever I would’ve taken with. In fact, I think I just embarrassed myself in print. Another sunny day in the 70’s here in Chicago.Fanfreakingtastic.